Oregon Historical Society, Davies
Family Research Library
Mss
63
Methodist Church collection
1848-1979
4 cubic feet
5 document cases, 2 flat boxes, 2 custom boxes,
28 reels microfilm
Artificial collection of materials relating to various
Methodist churches in the Pacific Northwest, primarily in Oregon and the
Portland area. Includes records of the First Norwegian-Danish Methodist
Episcopal Church, Portland (also known as the Hoyt Street Church); the Epworth
League; Grace Methodist Episcopal Church of Portland; the Methodist Episcopal
Church of Oregon City; and records of regional Methodist conferences held in
Oregon City, circa 1853-1885. Most of the materials are minutes of meetings,
with some financial records, ephemera, and publications. Also includes
microfilm of records not held by the Oregon Historical Society, from various
Oregon churches.
The collection is in
English and
Norwegian
Historical Note
The Methodist Church began missionary work in Oregon as early as 1834.
Missions were established throughout the area, most notably by Rev. Jason Lee,
1834-1844, and George Gary, 1844-1847. In 1844 the Methodists built the first
Protestant church on the Pacific coast at Oregon City. The first Methodist
conference on the Pacific coast was held in Salem in 1849 and called the Oregon
and California Mission Conference. In 1853 the Oregon Annual Conference was
established. By 1858 there were 19 Methodist organizations in the state, one of
the largest religious denominations in the region.
In Portland, the First Norwegian-Danish Methodist Episcopal Church was
incorporated in 1883. Its leaders were John C. Peterson, A. Johnson, Ole
Williams, John W. Lawrence, and J. P. Rasmussen. The church eventually located
to the corner of NW 18th Avenue and Hoyt Street and was often referred to as
"The Hoyt Street Methodist Episcopal Church" or "The Hoyt Street Church." The
church's youth group was called the Wesley League or, later, the Epworth
League.
The collection was created by the Oregon Historical Society from a
variety of sources. It contains materials relating to various Methodist
churches in the Pacific Northwest, primarily in Oregon and the Portland area.
Included are records of the First Norwegian-Danish Methodist Episcopal Church,
Portland (also known as the Hoyt Street Church); the Epworth League (primarily
associated with the Hoyt Street Church); Grace Methodist Episcopal Church of
Portland; the Methodist Episcopal Church of Oregon City; and records of
regional Methodist conferences held in Oregon City, circa 1853-1885.
Records include: minutes of board meetings, financial reports,
membership lists, Sunday school statistics of Hoyt Street (1934-1956) and
Oregon City (1863-1891) churches; minutes of Epworth League (1909-1942),
Ladies' Aid Society (1924-1926), Young Peoples' Society (1923-1924), and Wesley
League (1933-1942); district conference meeting notes (1886-1897); quarterly
conference journal (1871-1885); Rose City Park Church programs (1924-1950); and
two bound volumes containing board records and minutes (1900-1951) of First
Norwegian-Danish Methodist Episcopal Church. Also included are programs from
services at Portland churches, most notably the First Methodist Episcopal
Church on Taylor Street. Some of the records are written in Norwegian.
Microfilm includes: minutes, directories, Sunday school records,
registers, trustees' reports, conference records and journals of several
historic Methodist churches and organizations. Location of Methodist circuits
and churches in Oregon include Roseburg, Medford, Ashland, Dalles, Dayton,
Milwaukie-Sandy, St. Paul, Brownsville, Corvallis, Monroe, Oregon City, Eugene,
Weston, and Portland. Church organizational records include Epworth League,
Wesley Foundation, and Women's Missionary Society.
The collection is arranged in the following series:
- Series A: Regional Church Records, 1853-1946
- Series B: Records of Individual Churches, 1860-1957
- Series C: Ephemera, 1895-1950
- Series D: General Materials, 1848-1979
- Series E: Microfilmed Records, 1850-1952
The collection is open to the public.
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the
Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication,
and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library
prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold
copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission
for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the
copyright owners.
Methodist Church Collection, Mss 63, Oregon Historical Society
Research Library
The collection was assembled by the Oregon Historical Society from a
variety of sources, including Shirley Brown, 1988 Sept. 16, Library Accession
19003.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Epworth
League (Or.)
First Norwegian-Danish
Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland, Or.)--Archives
First United Methodist
Church (Portland, Or.)--Archives
United
Methodist Church (U.S.)--Pacific Northwest Conference--Archives
Grace M.E. Church (Portland, Or.)--Archives
Portland
(Or.)--History
Danes--Oregon--Portland
Methodist
Church--Oregon
Methodist
conference--Oregon
Methodist
women--Oregon
Methodists--Oregon
Norwegians--Oregon--Portland
Wesley
foundations
Missionaries
Oregon
Portland
Religion
Scandanavian Americans
Church records
Microfilm
Minutes
Registers
Evangeliske
toner : salmer og sange
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Series A
Regional Church Records
1853-1946
1/1
Oregon City Circuit--Minutes of quarterly conferences,
Oregon City
1853-1856
On fly leaf: "Records of the Oregon City circuit April 30th
1853." Bound volume.
1/2
Record of the proceedings of quarterly conferences,
Methodist Episcopal Church, Oregon City Circuit (and others)
1859-1880
Bound volume with pages printed with headings "Register of
Baptisms" and "Register of Marriages." Contains: minutes of quarterly
conferences; some marriage records; members of the North Casteel P.C.; Building
Committee minutes for parsonage at Marvin Chapel, Methodist Episcopal Church
South, 1879-1881; and minutes of the Board of Trustees of Marvin Chapel,
1874.
1/3
District conference notes, Oregon District
1886-1897
Bound volume containing printed forms, published 1883. Cover
title: "District Conference / Record / M.E. Church, South." On fly leaf:
"Oregon District / Record Book." Title page: "The / District Conference /
Record. / of / Oregon District, / Columbia Conference, / Methodist Episcopal
Church South." Each page printed with heading "Record of District
Conference."
1/4
Quarterly Conference journal, Oregon City
Circuit
1871-1885
Bound volume containing printed forms, published 1877, partially
damaged. On fly leaf in handscript: "Quarterly Conference Journal / Oregon City
/ Circuit." On title page, printed, "The / Quarterly Conference Journ[al] / of
the / [in handscript] Oregon City circuit / M.E. Church, South...."
1/5
Oregon-Washington Epworth League conventions
record
1909-1946
Bound volume. Cover title "Record." On fly leaf: "Protakal for
Pacific Kystens District Lega." Some entries in Norwegian. Volume probably kept
by members of the First Danish-Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church of
Portland.
1/6
Oregon-Washington Epworth League--Loose papers laid in
above volume.
1938-1944
Series B
Records of Individual Churches
1860-1957
2/1
Grace Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland,
Or.)--Financial records (bound volume)
1884-1921
Methodist Episcopal Church, Oregon City
2/2
Minutes of Board of Trustees (typescript
copies)
1876
2/3
Stewards' meeting minutes (bound volume)
1870-1871
2/4
Social Circle records (bound volume, formerly vol.
3)
1860-1861
6/1
General record
1863-1881
Bound volume containing printed forms. Includes:
- Record of baptisms
- Record of marriages
- Record of probationers
- List of members
- Record of the classes
6/2
Church record
1883-1891
Bound volume containing printed forms, published 1864.
Includes record of members, class records, marriages and baptisms.
First Danish-Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church
(Portland, Or.)
2/5
"Kaserbog - 1st Kierke"
1898-1902
Bound volume containing lists of names and financial
information.
2/6
"Protokol over Kvartalskonferences
forhandlingen"
1894
Bound volume containing printed forms, in Norwegian.
2/7
Minutes of the board of trustees and related
papers
1909-1914
Bound volume. On fly leaf: "Record of the / transactions of /
the Board of Trustees / of the First Norw-Danish / M. E. Church of / Portland
Or. / 1909." Includes some financial information.
3/1
Minutes and membership lists
1909-1914
Bound volume. Possibly for Epworth League. Mostly in
Norwegian.
8
Board of trustees minutes
1900-1930
Bound volume, some entries in Norwegian.
9
Board of trustees minutes
1931-1950
Bound volume. Spine title: "General Journal."
3/2
Board of trustees minutes--Papers laid in above
volume
circa 1947-1951
May contain continuation of board minutes from above
volume.
3/3
Board of trustees minutes
1950-1957
Bound volume, badly damaged by rodents. Inludes loose papers.
On fly leaf: "1950- / Board of Trustees / of / Hoyt St. Methodist Church / 18th
& N.W. Hoyt Sts."
3/4
Official board minutes
1951-1956
Printed blank book with papers taped in. Cover title: "Church
roll / and / record." Printed title page: "Church Roll / Alphabetically
Arranged / and / Record Book."
3/5
Official board minutes--papers laid in above
volume
1951-1956
4/1
Account book
1939-1944
4/2
Donations for janitor's salary
circa 1955
Entered in pages of telephone and address book.
4/3
Ladies Aid Society minutes
1924-1926
Bound volume, part in Norwegian.
4/4
Ladies Aid Luncheons--Secretary-treasurer
book
1933-1937
Bound volume. Inlcudes annual report of the Wesley League,
1936-1937.
4/5
Offering book
1939-1944
Includes records for Hoyt Street and Highland churches.
4/6
Sunday School statistics (bound volume)
1934-1942
4/7
Young People's Society--Minutes and financial
records
1923-1926
4/8
Wesley League minutes
1938-1942
4/9
Wesley and Epworth League minutes
1933-1935
7/1
Weekly income ledger
1926-1927
7/2
Young People's League and Epworth League
minutes
1926-1930
4/10
General papers
1874
1939-1955
Some materials relate to Bernard Johnson, the Epworth League,
minutes of some meetings, financial records, calling card for T. N. Ford.
Series C
Ephemera
1895-1950
5/1
Centenary-Wilbur Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland,
Or.)--Programs for services
1920-1922
5/2
First Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland Or.) (Taylor
St.)--General ephemera
1900-1909
5/3
First Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland Or.) (Taylor
St.)--Programs for services
1895-1913
5/4
First Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland Or.) (Taylor
St.). Ladies Aid Society--Booklet "Sunshine for every day of the
week"
circa 1906
5/5
Grace Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland,
Or.)
1893-1911
1948
Includes booklet "The Centenary Album of the First Methodist
Church, Portland, Orgegon" (1948).
5/6
Rose City Park Methodist Episcopal Church
1924-1950
5/7
Various Methodist churches
1893-1950
5/8
Wilbur Church (Portland, Or.)
1919-1920
Series D
General Materials
1848-1979
5/9
Books:
Wesley and early Methodism and
Evangeliske Toner (1922)
1922
undated
5/10
Celebrating 200 years of Methodism in America, 1784-1984;
and 130 years of Methodism in the Dalles (photocopy)
circa 1984
5/11
Class record book, Thomas Bradley, Pillar of Ames
Chapel, Progress, Or.
1871-1891
5/12
Collection of articles, pamphlets and
clippings
circa 1928-1950
Papers removed from three-ring binder. Probably collected by
Bernard Johnson of the First Danish-Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church of
Portland.
5/13
General materials
1849-1979
- Certificate appointing Harvey K. Hines as deacon in Le
Roy, N.Y., 1851
- "Report of Committee for Sabbatt [sic] School," 1849
(manuscript, 3 leaves)
- Records of quarterly conference, Astoria and Clatsop
Circuits, 1852-1857 (manuscript, 12 pages, unbound)
- Fourth quarterly meeting conference for Clatsop and
Astoria for the years 1857-8 (manuscript, 1 leaf)
- "M. E. Church. Report of Committee on 'State of the
Country," 1861 (manuscript, 4 leaves)
- Certificate of meeting of members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church at Union School House, Washington County, Or. (manuscript, 1
leaf)
- Lease between trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church
of Oregon City and Leon Achille Delouey, 1872 (manuscript, 2 leaves)
- Renewal of local preacher's license to Thomas Bradley,
1894
- Resolution of sympathy for R. Oglesby by District
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Brownsville, 1897 May 29
(manuscript, 1 leaf)
- Subscription list for McFarland Sunday School building,
1925 (5 leaves)
- "Battles and victories of the faith" by Claude A. Brown,
1949 Dec. 4 (typescript mimeograph, 4 leaves)
- Record of pastors and history, First Methodist Church,
Ontario, Or., circa 1958 (typescript, 7 leaves)
- Poem "Harp" by Paul E. Libby, 1979 Mar. (printed, 1
leaf)
- Flyer for farewell tribute to Harper Richardson,
Centenary Wilbur Methodist Church, undated
- Sunday school teachers class book, J. W. Bell, undated
(printed forms with handscript)
- List of names and dollar amounts, undated (manuscript, 1
leaf)
- Constitution of the Church Extension and City
Evangelization Union of the Methodist Church, Portland, Oregon (photostatic
copy of manuscript, 2 pages)
Series E
Microfilmed Records
1850-1952
Records for churches throughout Oregon. Location of originals is
not specified on film.
1
Roseburg church records
1861-1920
- Quarterly conference records, 1861-1892
- Church records, 1890-1920
- Directory, 1915
- Class book, 1890
- Epworth League record book, 1913-1914
- Trustees' minutes, 1913-1915
2
Roseburg and Medford church records
1878-1939
- Roseburg, church register, 1878-1939
- Roseburg, record of church confernce, 1926-1931
- Roseburg, quarterly conference records, 1934-1939
- Roseburg, official board minutes, 1924-1932
- Roseburg, record book, section of stewards,
1932-1939
- Roseburg, miscellaneous record book, 1928-1939
- Medford, church conference records, 1909-1918
- Medford, quarterly conference records, 1912-1919
3
Medford church records
1914-1933
- Official board minutes, 1914-1919
- Women's Missionary Society Records, 1923-1925
- Women's Missionary Society sec. book, 1922-1933
- Quarterly conference record, several volumes
4
Medford church records
1861-1928
- Quarterly conference records, 1896-1918; 1922-1928
- Church records, 1861-1908
5
Medford [?] and Ashland church records
1879-1937
- Medford [?] church register, several volumes,
1890-1937
- Ashland church records, 1879-1922
6
Church records
1853-1882
- Vancouver (Wash.), Cascade, Dalles Circuit,
1853-1855
- Mt. Tabor (Milwaukie, later East Portland Circuit),
quarlerly conference records, 1855-1882
7
Church records
1856-1907
- Taylor Street Church, Portland, record book,
1856-1871
- Calapoaia-Linn--Plainview Circuit, quarterly conference
records, 1858-1907
- Calapooya-Brownsville Circuit, record books,
1862-1875
- Calapooya-Brownsville Circuit, quarterly conference
records, 1875-1881
8
Church records
1854-1901
- Dayton-Lafayette Circuit, membership book,
1858-1884
- Millcreek-Jefferson Circuit, quarterly conference
records, 1854-1873
- Milwaukie-Sandy Circuit, membership book,
1857-1876
- Spencer-Butte-Cresswell-Springfield Circuit, membership
book, 1854-1889; quarterly conference records, 1855-1888
- Yamhill Circuit, membership records, 1855-1901
9
Yamhill and Prineville church records
1861-1928
- Yamhill Circuit, membership records, 1855-1901,
conference records, 1861-1884
- Prineville, miscellaneous papers, 1889-1928; membership
records, 1881-1917
10
Salem and St. Paul's church records
1886-1924
- Salem, membership records, 1886-1924
- St. Paul's, membership records, 1879-1897
11
St. Paul's and Taylor Street church records
1868-1897
- St. Paul's, quarterly conference records,
1874-1884
- St. Paul's, official board minutes, 1887-1891
- St. Paul's, Sunday school reports, 1888
- St. Paul's, notes on "prophecy", minutes of the official
board, 1891-1897
- St. Paul's, quarterly conference minutes,
1884-1892
- St. Paul's, Sunday School records, 1890-1896
- St. Paul's, Ladies Aid Society, 1890-1895
- Taylor Street, Portland, miscellaneous records,
1868-1894
12
Taylor Street, Portland, church records
1888-1912
- Miscellaneous records, 1894-1912
- Quarterly conference records, 1888-1912
13
Taylor Street, Portland, church records
1870-1912
- Quarterly conference minutes, 1888-1912
- Official board minutes, 1870-1912
- Cash book, 1904-1905
14
Portland church records
1880-1912
- Taylor Street, Sunday school records, 1880-1906
- Grace Church, record books, 1884-1912
15
Grace Church, Portland
1884-1914
- Record books, 1884-1912
- Quarterly conference records, 1884-1912
- Official board minutes, 1902-1912
- Trustees record books, 1884-1914
- Financial records, 1894-1899
16
Grace Church, Portland
1884-1901
- Financial records, 1894-1899
- Sunday school records, 1884-1901
17
Grace Church, Portland
1889-1915
- Sunday school records, 1893-1912
- Stewards' records, 1889-1894
- Y.P. S. of C.E., 1891-1892
- Ladies Aid Society, 1889-1892
- Brotherhood of St. Paul, 1903-1907
- Circuit Court proceedings, 1915 March
18
Circuit Court proceedings with transcript of testimony
in merger of Taylor Street and Grace Church (Portland)
1915 Mar.
19
First Church of Portland
1912-1939
- Circuit court proceedings (cont.)
- Miscellaneous records, 1912-1919
- Quarterly conference minutes, 1912-1916
- Minutes of the official board, 1912-1917
- Trustee minutes, 1912-1939
20
First Church of Portland
1903-1940
- Trustees' records, 1912-1939
- Sunday school records, 1912-1913
- Treasurer's book, 1913-1917
- Epworth League records, 1912-1917
- Ladies Aid Society, 1912-1920
- Women's Association accounts, 1939-1937
- Women's Society of Christian Service, 1940-1942
- Portland Primary School Union records, 1903-1908
- Portland Methodist Preachers Association minutes,
1905-1912
21
Church records
1850-1915
- First Church of Portland, Portland Methodist Preachers
Association minutes, 1905-1912
- First Church of Portland, W. S. Fletcher journal and
Estate Portland Circuit, annual quarterly conference minutes, 1859-1863
- Oregon City Circuit, quarterly conference minutes,
1863-1877
- Corvallis Circuit, conference minutes, 1850-1887
- Corvallis Circuit, trustees' minutes, 1880-1894
- Corvallis Circuit, Epworth League records,
1887-1900
- Corvallis Circuit, class book, 1887-1889
- Corvallis Circuit, Sunday school minutes,
1888-1892
- Corvallis Circuit, Sunday school records,
1911-1915
22
Corvallis and Monroe Circuits records
1856-1952
- Corvallis, Sunday school records, 1911-1915
- Corvallis, official board minutes, 1920-1933
- Corvallis, treasurer's book, 1920-1930
- Corvallis, Building Committee minutes, 1922-1927
- Corvallis, Wesley Foundation records, 1925-1952
- Corvallis Ministerial Association, 1889-1896
- Monroe Circuit, quarterly conference minutes
- Monroe Circuit, Stewards' records, 1865-1889
- Monroe Circuit, miscellaneous records, 1856-1928
23
Monroe and Eugene records
1857-1904
- Monroe, miscellaneous records, 1856-1926
- Eugene, miscellaneous records, 1857-1883
- Eugene, church record book, 1875-1904
24
Church records
1870-1922
- Eugene, record books, 1875-1892
- Walla Walla (Wash.) Circuit, quarterly conference record,
1870-1883
- Little Rock Camp Meeting Association constitution,
by-laws, and minutes, 1894-1899
25
Weston, Sunday school register
1883-1884
1897
1916-1919
26
Weston church records
1883-1937
- Sunday school register, 1919-1926
- Shiloh Class quarterly conference record,
1883-1886
- Quarterly conference record, 1888-1904
- Board of Stewards, minutes, 1912-1937
27
Weston, quarterly conference record
1904-1911
1919-1930
28
Centenary
1889-1890
- Subscription list
- Yearbook, 1889-1890
- Cornerstone laying, 1890